Reading with Rover: Dogs Used as Low-Pressure Literacy Tool
Listeners of the furry kind, provided by the nonprofit PAWS for People, offer a nonjudgemental ear for young readers at the West Deptford Free Public Library.
It may sound bizarre, the thought of animals encouraging children to read. Yet the PAWS for Reading Program knows furry friends make good listeners for some timid readers. Coming to West Deptford Free Public Library, the PAWS for Reading Program will set up about six teams throughout the library—each team consisting of one animal and one handler. During this time, children can sit with a team and read aloud to the animal. “It seems like such a great way for kids to feel free and easy about it,” says Diane Maher, head children’s librarian. Unlike reading in a classroom in front of peers and a teacher, Maher explains that reading to an animal dispels many anxieties new readers may have. With an animal, the child doesn’t have to fear them …
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